Minneapolis Downtown Classic

So girlfriend and I drive (how I hate having to drive everywhere now!) downtown for the race. After grabbing some Chipotle we stake out a spot at the corner into a nasty headwind for the racers, and I'm hoping to get some good pictures and catch any crashes (and yet hoping there aren't any!). Fortunately there aren't any, and the women race safely, at least through that section. It's also a great spot for cheering. Each lap, however, we're looking out for local hero Teresa Moriarty, and she's not there! We'll hear some rumors later about why not, but there are plenty of cheers available for Linda Sone now, and it's awesome seeing her work her way up each lap! I note how Linda's normally bubbly countenance turns into a mask of intense focus and pain on the bike. (Wow, that was almost poetic!) She and teammate Shana are working hard and working well together, and end up finishing safely up in the field. I don't know Shana well, but looking at the GC she must have done well in the TT and road race as she's very well placed overall.

For the men's race we met up with the Birchwood crew up on the roof of Brit's. My shoulder was hurting after my first day without the sling, so I was hoping a beer would make me forget about it. In between socializing, I saw the results of a lot of crashes, as the pit was located just below us. One crash apparently took out a big chunk of the field, as they all had to jump back in the race at that point. I cringe. Colavita is clearly the most aggressive, sending attacks that stick for many laps time and time again. Rock Racing gets lots of attention - the girls like the "bad boy" image and the guys are checking out the flashy graphics. Love him or hate him, Michael Ball knows how to draw attention! I also chatted with a new(?) Birchwoodie that I met during a karma yoga project that reminded me again of how much I miss yoga as well. On the other hand, if it weren't for yoga, I'd be in worse shape (physically and mentally) than I am now.

By now my shoulder is cramping pretty bad and the wind has taken its toll on my t-shirt clad body, so we skip the party on the wrong side of the bowling green and head home. I'll be so happy when I can have my normal life back!